Back at full strength, Prospect produces

Prospect's girls basketball team welcomed Haley Will back to the lineup on Saturday afternoon after the sophomore point guard missed the previous two games due to illness.

Her return hardly went unnoticed.

Will sank three key 3-pointers, including 2 big ones in the second half when the Knights defense rose to the occasion as the state's No. 8-ranked team in Class 4A pull out a 44-36 triumph over Rolling Meadows at the Jean Walker Field House in Mt. Prospect.

Prospect (15-1) improved its first-place record in the Mid-Suburban East to 4-0 while defending champ Rolling Meadows stands at 13-5 and 1-3.

Despite tying her season-high with 11 points, it was defense that Will wanted to talk about.

In the final 10:33 of the game, Prospect allowed only 3 free throws and one basket by junior Katherine Nolan, which came just a second before the fourth-quarter buzzer sounded.

"We were struggling with communication on defense in the first half," said Will, a two-year starter who also matched her career-high for 3-pointers in a game.

"It was more about talkng in the second half," she added. "It was all about being there for each other and working hard to get stops. Defense always puts us in better position for transition. It fuels our offense a lot."

The Knights' offense was led by senior Catherine Sherwood's 15 points.

Taylor Will and Brenda Kendziera, who saw limited playing time in the first half because each picked up 3 fouls, scored 7 and 5 points respectively. Nikki Matters connected on a 3-pointers in the first quarter and finished with 6 points.

"Offensively, we were taking smart shots," Haley Will added. "And we were making them."

Sherwood was making her free throws, too, going 7-for-7 at the line.

With Taylor Will and Kendziera in foul trouble in the first half, Sherwood made sure to do her part on offense by scoring 11 of her points.

"We had some foul trouble this game," said Knights coach Ashley Graham. "So it was good to see other kids step and we didn't miss a beat."

Graham especially liked how her players stepped up in the zone defense in the second half.

"I thought they really bought into it," she said. "They did a really nice job of not only getting to their shooters but also limiting their shots inside. I really proud of what the kids did in the second half."

Meadows was within 27-24 at half and trailed only 34-31 when junior Megan King fired home a 17-footer from the baseline with 2:33 left in the third quarter.

But the Mustangs wouldn't make another basket until Nolan's bank shot as time expired in the fourth quarter.

Sophomore Kyra Spiwak led Meadows with 9 points, followed by Hannah Mickey (8), Morgan Campagna (8), Nolan (6) and King (5).

"Credit Prospect," said Mustangs coach Ryan Kirkorsky. "They adjusted with their zone defense and we obviously didn't handle it well. I'm proud of our kids' effort. They executed our defensive game plan well."

Prospect comes right back today with a 6:15 p.m. game against Mundelein in the Chicagoland Invitational Showcase 2015 at Fremd High School.